Reel for stretching thread or the like



Dec. 16, 1941. TQRRENCE 2,266,574

REEL FOR STRETCHING THREAD OR THE LIKE Filed July 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Snventor GEORGE E TORRENCE Gttorneg Dec. 16, 1941. ca. P. TORRENCE 2 ,5

REEL FOR STRETCHING THREAD OR THE LIKE Filed July 15, 1939 2 Shets- Sheet2 GEORGE E TORRENCE (Ittpmeg Patented Dec. 16, 1941 George P. Torrance, Shaker Heights, Ohio; assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July 15, 1939, Serial No. 284,727

Claims.

filament thread or threadlike articles, including cord, rope, tape, wire and the like.

In spite of the obvious advantages of employing flared thread-advancing reels in the stretching of thread, difficulties attend on the use of such reels in certain types of stretching operations. For example, where a very high degree of stretch is desired, a reel having a considerable flare must be employed; as a result, slippage of the thread turns as they attempt to traverse the periphery of the reel very frequently takes place. Entangling and even breaking of the thread are not uncommon on flared thread-advancing reels largely as a result ofslippage of the thread. Furthermore, certain types of materials are inherently slippery or lacking in flexibility, making it difficult to stretch them by any previously known method.

The instant invention has for one of its objects to prevent the slippage of the thread turns, regardless of the character of the thread, upon flared thread-advancing reels.

To that end, the invention contemplates the incorporation in a self-threading reel, over at least a portion of the thread bearing surface of the elements going to make up the periphery thereof, of a large number of successively arranged steplike indentations; The function of each of these steplike indentations is to receive a single turn of thread at a time, thus assisting in the advance of thread along the flared periphery of the reel. Because the portion of the steplike indentation upon which each thread turn is carried is substantially cylindrical, the thread turns are prevented from slipping. Since slippage of the thread turns upon thread-advancing reels employing the teachings of the instant invention is thus rendered impossible, diillculties of the type heretofore experienced are largely, if not indeed entirely, eliminated.

Other advantages also characterize the invention, as will be apparent from the following description thereof.

One form of flared thread-advancing reel embodying the principles of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout. Figure 1 is a plan of a typical reel illustrating more or less diagrammatically the relation between the individual thread turns and the steplike indentations on the flared portion of the reel. Figure 2 is an end elevation of the reel of Figure 1 illustrating the arrangement of the bar members forming the periphery of said reel. Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale from line 3--3 of Figure 2 showing the internal structure of the reel. Figure 4 is a partial sectional elevation from line 4-8 of Figure 3 with parts broken away.

The reel of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, operates upon the same principle as the reel shown, described and claimed in copending Knebusch application Serial No. 652,089 (Patent 2,210,914), differing therefrom chiefly in that it has a flared periphery and is of cantilever construction.

Referring first to Figure 3, it will be noted that the reel includes two rigid cage members Hi and I! each of which comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending bar members I2 and I3, respectively. When the reel is assembled, bar members i2 and I3 are alternately disposed with re-- spect to each other, thereby forming the threadbearing periphery of the reel. The latter, while generally circular in cross section, may for the purposes of the present invention be regarded as made up of two substantially cylindrical portions separated by a substantially frusto-conical portion. As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the latter portion is so located that the larger end thereof is toward the unsupported end of the reel.

Reel member ID, hereinafter referred to as the concentric member, embodies a generally cylindrical body portion I mounted concentrically upon shaft l5 which body portion supports and imparts rigidity to bar members i2. Reel member I I, known as the eccentric member, is of rigid, cagelike construction, being made up of a plurality of bar members l3. The latter are provided at their forward ends with an internal reinforcing ring l6 and at their rear ends with an external reinforcing ring l'l by means of which eccentric member II is mounted by means of bolts it upon annular supporting member II. Annular supporting member I8 is freely rotatably mounted about shaft I! with its axis 11-!) in spaced and inclined relation to the axis (1-01 of concentric member Ill.

' Flanged collar 22, secured by means of set screw 23 to shaft I5, has formed at one end is fitted a correspondingly shaped wedge member 24 the generally cylindrical portion 25 of which is driven tightly into a corresponding recess in cylindrical body portion M of concentric member l0. Driving engagement between flanged collar 22 and concentric member is insured by means of nut 26 threaded upon the end of shaft l and adapted to engage the forward end of body portion 4 of said concentric member l0, thereby maintaining contact between the conical portion of wedge member 24 and its corresponding recess in said flanged collar 22. Flanged collar 22 is maintained inproper endwise relation by means of snap ring 29 and wedge member 24.

Over the exposed end of shaft l5 and nut 26 is fitted a hard rubber cap 2'! which, together with washer 28, serves to prevent access of corrosive processing fluids to the bearings of the reel. A suitable flexible seal 20 of the typeillustrated in Knebusch Patent No. 2,023,477, preferably of rubber or similar corrosion-resistant material, is provided to protect the shaft l5, flanged collar 22 and other internal metallic parts from the processing fluids. By forming the reel members I0 and II of suitable reagent-resistant synthetic resin, as, for example, Bakelite, the reel as a whole may be used without susceptibility to chemical attack even under conditions in which chemicals of Widely divergent characteristics are employed to treat the thread on the reel.

To provide positive driving engagement between concentric member ID and eccentric member I and to preserve substantially uniform spacing between adjacent bar members thereof, a spur gear 3| is secured by means of screws 32 to flange portion 30 of collar 22. Teeth 33 of said spur gear 3| engage similar teeth 34 of an annular internal gear 35 mounted upon annular supporting member I 8, to which such internal gear is secured by means of pins 36. Spur gear 3| and internal gear 35 are preferably made of some suitable combination of materials to obviate the necessity of lubrication and to insure quiet operation of the reel.

Rotation of shaft I 5 from some suitable source of power (not shown) will actuate flanged collar 22, thereby driving concentric member I!) through wedge member 24. Simultaneously therewith, spur gear 3| on the'flanged collar 22, by reason of its engagement with internal gear 35, operates to drive the freely rotatably mounted annular supporting member l8 which serves to support eccentric member H. In this manner, eccentric member II is driven from positively driven concentric member lfl. Bar members l2 and I3 are maintained in the meanwhile in suitably spaced arrangement out of contact with each other.

Radial displacement of the bar members of one reel member with respect to those of the other reel member as a result of which each turn of thread is supported first by one set of bar members and then by the other is made possible by mounting eccentric member II with its axis b-b lying in a plane spaced from but parallel to that of axis aa of concentric member ID (Figure 3). The inclined relationship between axes aa and bb (Figure 1) which causes the thread to advance longitudinally of the reel is effected by mounting annular supporting member l8 in suitably inclined relation to the axis of shaft l5. 0n

rotation of shaft I5, both factors taken togetherthereof a conically shaped recess 2| into which vancing helix made up of a large number of spaced, generally helical turns.

By virtue of these features, the reel is selfthreading; i. e., if the thread 40 is lead to the supported end of the reel, it will be advanced in the form of a helix toward the unsupported end thereof.

As indicated-the reel has a periphery made up of a plurality of alternately disposed bar members l2 and I3. Each of the reel members I0 and taken individually is circular in cross section but increases in cross-sectional diameter from the supported to the unsupported end of the reel. By reason of the interdigitating relation of said reel members, the reel as a whole is likewise approximately circular in cross section. It has, however, a generally flared contour which permits stretching of the thread to occur as the thread advances toward'the unsupported end of the reel. Suitable lead-on and take-off guides may be employed with the reel and one or more such reels may be employed in 'any convenient arrangement in practically any type of apparatus wherein it is desired to stretch thread.

As stated, the invention contemplates the employment of a large number of successive steplike indentations 39 formed upon the inclined portion of the thread bearing surface of each bar member of both sets of bar members. The substantially horizontal portions 31, hereinafter referred to as lands, of each of said steps are preferably of a width slightly less than the normal spacing between thread turns with the result that each such land carries but a single thread turn. This feature, for reasons more fully explained hereinafter, causes each individual thread turn to be positioned immediately adjacent the riser 38 of each of saidsteplike indentations, thus insuring positive advance of the thread.

In general, in a thread-advancing reel made up of rigid reel members which is adapted to advance the thread from one end to the other thereof in the form of a helix of closely spaced turns, the thread is supported alternately by each of the two reel members. As the reel is operated, the bar members of each set are, in effect, first projected a trifle beyond and then retracted slightly within the bar members of the other set. While the bar members of each set project beyond those of the other set, they serve to support the thread; consequently, that portion of each thread turn which is supported wholly by the bar members of one of the reel members tends to define a path which is perpendicular to the axis of the member with which it is momentarily associated.

Referring now to Figure 2, it is apparent that there are at any time four distinct zones about the periphery of the reel in which are eifected individual operations of the sort just described.

In the zone the limits of which are indicated by reference characters A and B, each thread turn is supported only by the bar members l2 of concentric member In; accordingly, the path defined by the thread turns in zone A-B is therefore substantially perpendicular to the axis aa of concentric member l0. As each thread turn is advanced, the direction of rotation being as indicated, it passes to zone B-C, where it is supported both by bar members |2 of concentric member l0 and by bar members l3 of eccentric member At the portion of this zone nearest the point indicated by reference character C, the bar members |2 retract within the periphery defined by bar members 3, leaving the thread supported wholly by bar members [,3 of eccentric member II. In the zone C-D, each thread turn is wholly supported by eccentric bar members I3; consequently, each thread turn tends to assume a path perpendicular to axis bb of eccentric member ll. Each thread turn, now turned slightly from its original direction, is again supported by the bar members of both reel members in the zone D-A, from which it moves into contact with the bar members I! of the concentric member at a point slightly in advance of the point from which it left such member.

The pitch of the thread turns, therefore, is entirely dependent upon the degree of inclination between the axes a-a and b-b of the two reel members.

In view of the fact that the steplike indentations 39 are formed on each of the bar members in such manner that the lands 3! are substantially parallel to the axis of the reel member of which said bar members form a part and, as stated, are of a width slightly less than the distance between the threadturns, each turn of thread in the zone D-A is picked up by a land 3'! of one of the steplike indentations 39 on bar member l2 next succeeding that which previously supported it. Thus each thread turn is supported on 'a separate land 31 immediately adjacent to a riser 38, so that thread slippage is entirely prevented. A positive thread advance in the direction of the flare is thereby insured, this for the reason that the thread is not able to slip while on the lands 31, which, as already noted, are generally cylindrical in shape.

In adapting the invention to the production of a material which possesses considerable stillness; e. g., wire, it will be advisable to employ a metal reel rather than a reel such as that illustrated in the drawings constructed of Bakelite or other non-metallic material. The tendency of material such as wire is to maintain the normal pitch of the helix upon the lead-on portion of the reel. As each turn of the advancing helix reaches the first steplike indentation 39 of the flared portion of the reel, the tendency of the thread to maintain the pitch characteristic of the first portion of the helix is partly restrained by riser 38 with the result that the diameter of the thread turn in contact with such riser tends to increase slightly. This action assists the positive advance of the material along the periphery oi the reel, since the material being fed to the reel at the lead-on end thereof forces each turn to move outward in contact with the riser of each succeeding steplike indentation.

.Any desired degree of flare and any suitable arrangement of thestep-like indentations 39 may be employed commensurate with the type and character of the material to be stretched on the reel. Certain artificial silk threads, for example, will satisfactorily take 60% or more stretch, while others can stand only a lesser amount of stretch without breaking. With the employment of the present invention, the reel in effect becomes a plurality of small reels equivalent in length to the length of each step, each of which is adapted to advance a single turn of thread and eliminate the possibility of slipp ge.

The instant invention is adaptable to many types of thread-advancing reels and is not restricted to the reel shown in. the drawings. The

width of the lands 3'! and the height of the risers 38 may be varied within reasonable limits, depending upon the pitch of the thread turns, the degree of flexibility of adjustment of the reel, and the over-all amount of flare in the fru-sto-conical portion of the reel.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, what'- ever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A unitary thread-advancing reel adapted to stretch thread by positively advancing it in regularly spaced, generally helical turns of gradually increasing diameter which embodies a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinally extending bar members, and which includes upon at least a portion of the thread-bearing surface thereof means for preventing slippage of the thread comprising a large number of successively arranged substantially identical steps each of which accommodates only a single turn of thread at'a time, said steps having the lands thereof in substantial parallelism with the axis of the reel.

2. A unitary thread-advancing reel adapted to stretch thread by positively advancing it in regularly spaced, generally helical turns of gradually increasing diameter which embodies a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinally extending bar members, and which includes upon at least a portion of the thread-bearing surface thereof means for preventing slippage of the thread comprising a large number of steplike indentations individually accommodating only a single turn of thread at a time characterized by. alternately disposed lands and risers, each of said risers extending generally radially of the axis of the reel.

3. A stretching reel capable of advancing thread in the form of a helix of gradually increasing diameter but of substantially constant pitch comprising a plurality of interdigitating, longitudinally extending bar members upon each of which is formed a large number of steplike indentations comprising alternately arranged lands and risers, each of said risers extending generally radially of the axis of the reel and eachof said lands extending in a direction substantially paralleling the axis of the reel but for a distance not more than the spacing between successive turns of thread in said helix.

4. A stretching reel capable of advancing thread in the form of a helix oi gradually increasing diameter but of substantially contant pitch comprising a plurality of interdigitating, longitudinally extending bar members upon each of which are formed two portions extending substantially parallel to the axis of the reel which are separated by an inclined portion characterized ,by a large number of steplike indentations comprising alternately arranged lands and risers, each of said risers extending generally radially of the axis of the reel and each of said lands extending in a direction substantially parallelin the axis of the reel but for a distance not more than the spacing between successive turns of thread in said helix.

5. A cantilever reel of the type defined in claim 4 which is adapted to advance the thread from the supported to the unsupported end thereof.

. GEORGE P.-TORRENCE. 

